Argyranthemum plant named &#39;SUN 470&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Argyranthemum  plant named ‘SUN 470’, characterized by its uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; single-type inflorescences with ray florets that are initially white in color and becoming red purple in color with development; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Argyranthemum frutescens

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUN 470’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofArgyranthemum plant, botanically known as Argyranthemum frutescens andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘SUN 470’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new Argyranthemumplants with attractive ray and disc floret colors and good gardenperformance and pest resistance.

The new Argyranthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in August, 2012 in Glandorf, Germany of two unnamedseedling selections of Argyranthemum frutescens, not patented. The newArgyranthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf,Germany in July, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Argyranthemum plant by vegetative tipcuttings was first conducted in Glandorf, Germany in February, 2014.Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features ofthis new Argyranthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Argyranthemum have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the new Argyranthemum plant. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘SUN 470’ as a new anddistinct Argyranthemum plant:

-   -   1. Uniformly mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Single-type inflorescences with ray florets that are        initially white in color and becoming red purple in color with        development.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Argyranthemum differ from plants of the parentselections primarily in uniformity as plants of the new Argyranthemumare more uniformly mounding than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Argyranthemum can be compared to plants ofArgyranthemum frutescens ‘SUN 110’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the newArgyranthemum differed primarily from plants of ‘SUN 110’ in ray floretcolor as plants of ‘SUN 110’ have white-colored ray florets withdark-colored centers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Argyranthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colorsofthe new Argyranthemum plant. The photograph on the first sheetcomprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SUN470’ grown in a container. The photograph on the second sheet is aclose-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SUN 470’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in9-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany andunder cultural practices typical of commercial potted Argyranthemumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 14° C. to 28° C., night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 18° C.and light levels ranged from 25 klux to 90 klux. Plants were pinched onetime five weeks after planting and were 2.5 months old when thephotographs and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Argyranthemum frutescens ‘SUN 470’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of            Argyranthemum frutescens, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of            Argyranthemum frutescens, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 8 to 10 days at            temperatures about 18° C. to 24° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 10 to 15 days at            temperatures about 14° C. to 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 16            days at temperatures about 18° C. to 24° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 to 20            days at temperatures about 14° C. to 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to medium in thickness, fibrous;            typically white in color, actual color of the roots is            dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; uniformly            mounding plant habit; upright to broadly spreading form;            overall shape, roughly flattened globular; moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching growth habit with about 24            lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances            lateral branch development.        -   Plant height.—About 17.7 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 29.1 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 8.5 cm. Diameter: About            4 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong;            young stems, flexible. Texture: Ribbed, glabrous. Luster:            Slightly glossy. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 7.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 4.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Pinnatisect; in outline, obovate to narrowly obovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Deeply incised.        -   Sinuses.—Parallel to slightly convergent.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;            leathery.        -   Luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Matte.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C;            venation, close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 137B to 137C; venation, close to 137A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence form and arrangement.—Single-type terminal and            axillary inflorescences held above and beyond the foliar            plane on strong peduncles; ray and disc florets arranged            acropetally on a receptacle; inflorescences face mostly            upright to outwardly.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 100            inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering            season.        -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from spring to late summer            in Germany; flowering continuous during this period.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to            three weeks on the plant; inflorescences not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About            7 mm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Towards the base,            close to 144C to 144D; towards the apex, close to 158A;            towards the margins, close to 199A to 199B.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.1 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.7 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 3 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 26 arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 2.4 cm.            Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Emarginate. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower surface: Glabrous;            slightly carinate. Luster, upper surface: Matte. Luster,            lower surface: Slightly glossy. Color: When opening, upper            surface: Close to NN155D tinged with close to 75D; towards            the apex, close to 75A to 75B. When opening, lower surface:            Close to 73C; towards the base, occasionally white, close to            NN155D; towards the apex, close to N74C. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to N74C; color becoming closer to 72C with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 72C to            72D; color does not change with development.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 200 spirally arranged at center of receptacle. Length:            About 6 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2 mm. Diameter, base:            About 0.5 mm. Shape: Tubular with five free apical lobes.            Apex: Acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Luster, inner surface: Glossy. Luster, outer            surface: Matte. Color, immature, inner and outer surfaces:            Apex: Close to 11A. Mid-section and base: Close to 150D.            Color, mature, inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to            168A. Mid-section and base: Close to 145D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 24 arranged in two whorls. Length: About 4 mm. Width:            About 2.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Praemorse. Base: Broadly            cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; edges, papery. Luster, upper surface:            Glossy. Luster, lower surface: Matte. Color, upper surface:            Close to 144A to 144B; margins and papery edges, close to            158B and 164C. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A; margins            and papery edges, close to 158B and 164C.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5.5 cm.            Diameter: About 1.75 mm. Angle: Terminal peduncle, erect;            lateral peduncles, about 42.5° from branch axis. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Slightly ribbed, glabrous. Luster: Slightly            glossy. Color: Close to 138B.        -   Reproductive organs: Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Filament length: About 2 mm. Anther length: About            1.25 mm. Anther shape: Lanceolate; basifixed. Anther color:            Close to 13A. Pollen amount: Moderate to abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 21A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc            florets. Pistil length: About 4.5 mm. Stigma shape:            Decurrent. Stigma color: Close to 15A to 15B. Style length:            About 4 mm. Style color: Close to 150D. Ovary color: Close            to 145C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been            observed on plants of the new Argyranthemum.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Argyranthemum have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Argyranthemum plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Argyranthemum have been    observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind,    high temperatures about 40° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness    Zone 9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Argyranthemum plant named ‘SUN 470’as illustrated and described.